Adventure Magazine Cover, April 3, 1918 — page 110: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

108 Silent stared incredulously at the picture message and beheld: The old hunter was an expert in the sign- language of the plains, an indispensable aid to interpreting the drawings made by In- dians to convey a message. There was no at- tempt at artistic skill in the picture; simply an effort to announce a fact. It was as readily comprehensible to him as though he had been an eye-witness of the tragedy. “Two Birds surprised at th’ crick an’ didn’t have time to run for it,”’ Silent read aloud. “Th’ up ’n’ down line is th’ bank behind which he hid. Keeps low an’ sees a big number o’ Kiowy comir’. They don’t know he’s there yet. There was a whalin’ big bunch of ’em, as showed by th’ hoof-tracks. He don’t know whether he’ll git clear or be wiped out. So he makes this report hopin’ ye’ll git it and larn th’ Kiowy is on th’ war-path in big numbers. “‘Th’ two birds over his head ’dentifies him; but to make sure he stripes off his ha’r to show th’ Crow custom o’ usin’ red- clay. To leave no doubt ’bout they bein’ Kiowy he makes th’ reg’lar picter f’r that tribe—a man wavin’ both hands foolish- like.” And he mechanically gave the sign- language designation of the Kiowa by raising his right hand level with his head and revolving it, to signify “‘rattle brained,”’ or “crazy.” Thus the gesture would be interpreted by every plains Indian from Mexico to Canada. “The poor devil made it all plain enough,”’ said the commander. “I want you and Texas to follow and learn their direction.” Silent grunted wrathfully and com- plained: . “T snum! that gits me. There ain’t no doubt but what there was a big band of ’em; an’ yet I was sure they was off fr a buf’ler hunt. Yep; th’ whole dad b’ilin’ of °em must have swung back.” “A blind man could see that,’ tersely remarked the commander. ‘After Texas has had a sleep you two must locate the band. They must be taught a lesson. Adventure Too many of our scouts are being wiped out. The men are beginning to get ner- vous.” ‘Th’ Crow makes six inside a month,” mused Silent. ‘“There was Cayuse at th’ Cimarron, Big an’ Little Rusty at Pawnee Forks near where this happened, th’ breed at th’ Walnut, an’ Little Irish at th’ Rock (Pawnee).”’ “Lean Wolf is behind it,” fumed the commander. ‘‘He’s made his brags he’ll wipe out all our scouts. IT’ll give two hundred dollars for his scalp—if he has to be taken dead.” “T opine that’s th’ way he’d have to be took,” muttered the old hunter, his faded gray eyes twinkling. “Leastways some one in his neighborhood would have to lose a scalp if I ever met up with him. [I'll be ready when Texas is.” “He stayed long enough to bury Two Birds; then rode without a break here. It’s his nerves more than anything. He thinks every scout is being dogged. But as soonashecan sit a saddle he’ll go with you.” Silent returned to studying the picture. Finally he asked: “Why two of us? We’d cover more ground by splittin’ up.” The commander laughed harshly, saying: “You haven’t any Indian in your blood. Texas’ grandmother was a Cheyenne. His father was a white trader at Bent’s. He’s superstitious. Says he won’t take a trail alone again till after Lean Wolf has been killed. “Wal, Texas don’t show his Injun blood any, an’ a man don’t have to be a breed to feel that a-way,” drawled Silent. ‘‘Reckon I'll feel better f’r havin’ a good man by my side. It'll git on my nerves if any more of us is killed. I'll be ridin’ out a bit... Be back time Charlie’s fit to climb a saddle.” rage when the old hunter rode in after an absence of nearly two days. But the high scout mortality forced him to swallow his wrath. He greeted: “Now that you’ve finally returned I suppose you will have to take a rest. First one man, then another.” “Oh, I’m all hunky,” mildly assured Silent. “Thought I’d scared up some new signs, but they sort o’ petered out. I’m fit’s a fiddle. Where’s Texas?” ‘Inside, trying to drown his blue devils COnniclooo S _ THE post commander was in a rare . (C@